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WHAT CHANGES IN FRANCE

On the agenda: What’s happening in France this week

From a political summit to international women's day plus lots of strikes and demos, here's what is happening in France this week.

On the agenda: What's happening in France this week
He may have missed out on a 2022 World Cup, but this week Antoine Griezmann lwill get a statue in the Paris waxwork museum. Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP

Monday 

Term-time – schools in Zone C (including Paris) reopen after their winter holiday, while schools in zones A and B have already gone back.

Griezmann waxwork – French football star Antoine Griezmann will have his waxwork unveiled at the Musée Grévin wax museum in Paris.

Tuesday 

Strike day – after a lull in strikes during the school holidays, March 7th is another day of mass strike action with unions promising to ‘bring the country to a halt’. For some industries this will be a one-day strike, but unions representing rail workers, waste collectors and Paris public transport workers have declared rolling strikes, so disruption is likely to continue throughout the week. Air traffic controllers, meanwhile, have called a two-day trike on Tuesday and Wednesday. 

‘France at a standstill’ – what to expect from Tuesday’s strikes

You can find all the latest on the disruption in our regularly-updated strike guide HERE

Wednesday 

More strikes – day two of the air traffic controllers strike, over both days up to 30 percent of flights will be cancelled – full details HERE – while disruption on railways and Paris public transport is likely to contine. 

Ticket sales – SNCF opens up its summer sale of train tickets for July and August, if you’re in the mood to plan a holiday. 

International Women’s Day – the Journée internationale des droits des femmes will be marked in France with marches, some of which will combine with the demos against pension reform, which unions say disproportionately affect women.

Thursday

School demos – students and pupils at collèges and lycées in France will hold a day of demonstrations against the proposed pension reforms, with some promising to blockade their schools.

Friday 

Political visit – British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is set to visit France for the first British-French summit in more than four years.

Saturday 

Six Nations – France’s rugby team travel to London to take on the old enemy England in the match known as ‘le crunch‘.

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WHAT CHANGES IN FRANCE

On the Agenda: What’s happening in France this week

From an important state visit to two public holidays and QR codes for Paris residents, here's what is happening in France this week.

On the Agenda: What's happening in France this week

Monday

Xi Jinping visiting France – China’s President XI Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, will be in France from Monday to Tuesday for a state visit. French President Emmanuel Macron will welcome them in the Hautes-Pyrénées in southern France. The visit is a recognition of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and China.

Tuesday

N/A

Wednesday

Bank holiday for VE Day – Most workers across France will get a day off for Victory in Europe day on May 8th. You can expect the day to involve military parades and remembrance events in towns and cities around France. This year will mark the 79th anniversary of the end of the war.

Olympic torch arrival – The Olympic torch, which already started its journey from Greece, will arrive in Marseille on May 8th before beginning its relay around France. You can see the route here.

Thursday

Bank holiday for Ascension – This year, the Christian festival of Ascension falls on Thursday, May 9th. This means workers in France will enjoy two back-to-back jours fériés (bank holidays).

Friday

QR code for Paris residents – People who live in the area closest to the Seine river in Paris will need to sign up for a QR code to access their homes and neighbourhoods during and shortly before the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games. If you plan to host guests, you will also need to register them for security purposes.

You can see the area that will be encompassed within the security zone HERE. As for signing up for the QR code, the website to sign up will be posted by the Paris Police Préfecture in the coming days, and it is set to open on Friday, May 10th.

READ MORE: Which areas will be closed in Paris during the Olympics?

Faire le point – With two public holidays in the middle of the week, many people in France will take advantage of the opportunity to ‘faire le pont’ (make the bridge) by taking off work on Friday.

MotoGP Grand Prix – Fans of motorcycle racing will undoubtedly be excited for the French MotoGP Grand Prix, which will run from Friday May 10th to Sunday May 12th at Le Mans, along the Bugatti circuit. You can find full information for the event here.

Saturday

Eurovision – Saturday marks the finals of the Eurovision song contest, but you can also watch France compete before that. The semi-finals are set for May 7th and May 9th (although France goes straight through to the finals every year as one of the ‘big five’ who fund the contest). France will be represented by the artist Slimane. 

READ MORE: 5 things to know about France’s 2024 Eurovision song

Sunday

Mother’s Day in the US – With UK Mother’s Day having passed and French Mother’s Day not until the end of the month, it is easy for Americans in France to forget that US Mother’s Day falls on the second Sunday of May. Consider this a helpful reminder to make your reservations or send your letter, flowers or gifts ASAP.

Heavy traffic on French roads – Traffic watchdog Bison Futé predicts that return travel will be congested on Sunday, as holidaymakers head home after enjoying the May public holidays. Traffic is expected to be ‘black’ (extremely slow) in the north-west, while the rest of the country has been marked in red for (very slow). You can consult their predictions here.

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